Forget Duolingo: Here’s How to Actually Learn a Language
Written by Sophie Bouali.
Hands up if you’ve spent months on Duolingo and all you can say is ‘John is eating a croissant’ – but nothing that’ll actually help you when you’re lost at a train station trying to find your platform? Same.
Learning Italian was always one of those ‘I’ll do it next year’ things. Every year, I’d tell myself, this is the year. But then another year would slip by and all I knew was that I had disappointed Duo with my lack of commitment, and suddenly it was the end of the year and I still couldn’t string a sentence together in Italian.
2023 was the year I changed that. Here’s how.
Why I Decided to Learn Another Language (And You Should Too)
My decision to learn Italian was easy:
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- I had a trip to Italy booked and I wanted to be able say more than a very dodgy ‘Grazie!’
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- I wanted to finally be able to speak to my Nonna properly instead of sounding like the Cookie Monster every time I spoke to her.
For reference… but worse
Once I’d made the decision, I did something a little vulnerable (read: slightly embarrassing). I told everyone. My hairdresser, the barista down the road, even Kathy from finance. By doing this I made myself annoyingly accountable because I knew they would soon be asking, “So, how’s the Italian going?” And before I knew it, I had a bunch of accidental accountability buddies.
How to start
Sure, the easiest thing would be to move Italy or sign up to classes near me but I knew a conventional classroom wasn’t going to work for me. I work full time and can’t keep my eyes open past 8pm on a school night. Without structured learning I had to rely on my trusty friend Google. I read that by learning the 2,000 most common words means you will be able to understand 80% of texts. Thankfully, there are lots of resources for learning Italian and this list of words already existed with corresponding audio. I got a cheap notebook, printed out the list of words and stuck it to my notebook. I would listen to the audio and read the list of words every single day. Then I would start to construct basic sentences using the words I had learnt e.g. I wake up at 7:30am and brush my teeth.
The notebook in question. It’s lived a long life.
Image: provided
Resources That Don’t Cost a Cent (Yes, Really)
The 5 essential language learning skills are reading, listening, reading, writing and speaking. These my favourite resources that cover each skill and that are varied enough to keep a toddler entertained.
Children’s books
Head on over to your local library and check out the international languages section. Start by reading 1-2 children’s books a week. That’s right, Peppa Pig can help adults learn a language too. Don’t be disheartened by reading children’s book because this is exactly how children learn to speak. Did I mention it was free?
The accuracy…
Podcasts and Music
Music is one of my favourite ways to study. Nothing like bopping to an Italian pop song and calling it study. I like to read the lyrics in English and Italian along with the music. This way I’m covering reading and listening at the same time (speaking too if I want to sit by myself on the train) Podcasts are another great way to practice listening. There are lots of podcasts that cover grammar in a fun way. My favourites are Joy of Languages and Coffee Break Italian.
Google Translated song lyrics
Image: provided
Netflix and Youtube
Yes, you read right, you can Netflix and Chill your way to learning a language. I love watching a movie or Youtube video when I don’t feel like studying but want to do something. It’s a fun way to build on what you have learnt by exposing yourself to different accents. The visual cues and context help fill in the gaps of what you don’t understand.
TIP: You can also add an extension on your computer to view dual subtitles while watching Netflix. https://preply.com/en/blog/netflix-dual-subtitle/#:~:text=Ever%20wanted%20to%20simultaneously%20view,sets%20of%20subtitles%20at%20once.
How to Speak Like a Local Without Leaving Your Couch
Oh speaking, the dreaded aspect of all language learners. Probably because it’s the most nerve-racking. Luckily, I have a few things you can try.
If you’re feeling brave, you can practice speaking to tutors online for as low as $15 per lesson using either Preply and Italki. Lessons are done through the app, no Zoom needed.
Image: Preply. Image: italki.
Otherwise, you can try Tandem. It’s a free language exchange app that connects you with other language learners. You can take turns speaking in languages and even correct each other.
Example conversation on Tandem
Image: Tandem
If you don’t want to pay to speak to someone or just don’t feel confident yet… I get it. When my introverted brain doesn’t want to interact with other people, I practice speaking by reading a book out loud.
A Study Plan that Works—Without Burning Out
Something I found difficult when I first started learning Italian was finding the time to study. Do I do it after work? Do I get up early? No thanks, I’d rather sleep in and doom scroll.
After a lot of trial an error I’ve found I’m the most consistent when I incorporate study into my everyday life and make use of my commute. For example, my weekly study plan looks something like this:
7:00am – Listen to 10 min Italian podcast while driving to the train station
7:15am – Read a children’s story for 25 minutes on the train
7:40am – Listen to Italian music for 15 minutes walking to work
Repeat on the commute home and without even trying I am doing 1hr and 40 minutes of language practice daily just by combining it into my daily routine.
Your weekly study plan could look something like this:
Monday – Listen to a song with lyrics
Tuesday – Watch a Youtube video
Wednesday – Read 1 x children’s book out loud
Thursday – Journal in target language for 10 minutes
Friday – Listen to a podcast in target language
Saturday – 1 x Preply/Italki lesson
Sunday – Rest day
There’s a reason people try to learn and language and give up straight away – It’s hard!
But trust me, when you have that first conversation in another language (and actually understand what’s going on), it makes all the frustrating moments worth it. It’s scary, but nothing worth doing is meant to be easy.
Who else is on a language learning journey? Share your favourite tips and tricks belo